King Sophie’s World

Imogen Llewellyn

Former dancers, sequin addicts, theatre nerds who refuse to be silenced, and admirers of Discount Universe, please – step into King Sophie’s World. This is the motherload of one-of-a-kind hand embroidered sequin patches tailored for DIY jackets, created by one very talented UK artist. Drawing inspiration from her days as an art history student at the University of Plymouth, she came across daring fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, an artist unafraid of experimenting with gender stereotypes.

On Etsy, Sophie says, “I’m inspired by the macabre, the surreal, glamour and powerful women… I love making patches because they give you the freedom to create an outfit like no one else’s and dress exactly how you want to.” Sewing tiny discs of joy into awesome shapes is now her full-time job – she is living the dream. “Even if I end up broke, I don’t want to live with any regrets,” she says over at thedame.com.

Boasting a level 100 in patience, she stitches every sequin on individually by hand. Our fingers hurt just thinking about it. Eyeballs, aliens, emojis, Bjork and pizza are a few of her staple motifs. She also invites people to request custom designs to so you never have to run into Tiffany at the club and she’s wearing the exact same f*cking jacket.